The bottles were sent to Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse laboratory for testing and confirmed to be fake. The labels and caps were forged, while the liquid was found to have an alcohol strength of 36.98 per cent rather than the legal minimum requirement of 37.5 per cent with a smell of methanol. There was also no lot code on the bottle.

Mr Nevzat Sanli, who works for Glades Food and Wine, was ordered to pay out £2,450 after a prosecution by Redbridge Council.

On Monday 26 November the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee held a hearing for a Full Review. The Sub-Committee did not revoke the licence ‘by the skin of its teeth’ and decided instead to suspend it for three months and add a wide range of conditions. The suspension is to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to comply with the new conditions.

Cllr Bob Littlewood, Cabinet Member for Crime, Safety and Community Cohesion, said: “Selling fake goods is a criminal activity and we take this very seriously, especially when they put people at risk. It is important that consumers can trust the products that they buy for their own safety. The Sub-Committee have suspended the licence, which shows to our residents that protecting our borough against crime is a priority.”